Ian chuckled. “Perhaps I was wrong. Dear girl, how could a hybrid entity like your Francium have turned you? Did you not consider it? Do you even remember your turning?”I shuddered at the thought.“I… choose not to remember it.”“Oh please, it is not something you could choose to forget.”“He choked me…”“And then?”“I woke up.”He sighed heavily. “Must you be coy about this? Or perhaps are you hiding it from Francium. I assure you, now is not the time to be reticent.”“That’s all!”Ian huffed. “I am not asking you how he killed you. That is irrelevant. I am asking about your turning. You were called, Claire, by the Goddess. She told you something, did she not?”Claire went silent, but I knew the look on her face. She knew exactly what he was talking about. What could the Goddess have told her? Why hadn’t Claire told me about it? Why hadn’t she told Francium? He looked just as shocked as I was.“Point proven,” he said. “Your turning started long before Francium delved into choking or
I looked at Candido who kneeled beside them with a grim expression.Gilgamesh was Candido’s cousin?“Just hold on,” Vanessa said and screamed again. “What are you all standing there for? Get a fucking medic!”“It’s too close to his heart,” Candido said softly.She shook her head and looked at Ian and Cillian. “Please. You have magic. You can do something.”“It brings me no joy to tell you that I can do nothing,” Ian said grimly. “My magic is not of the healing variety.”“You’re lying!” She screamed. “You’re the one who came up with this plan!”“I merely gave you the opportunity. Extended a suggestion,” Ian said. “It may not register to you, Vanessa, but this is war. Lives will be lost, as tragic as that is.”“It’s all your fault!” She screamed. “You vampires… My son…”I didn’t know what to say or do. I considered going to Candido, but I couldn’t speak and that was irritating, so what good would it do. I turned away, stepping back. Yggdrasil glared at me, pushing past me with a bullet
Estella? I had never heard the name before. Not once had he ever mentioned her, but I went still and cold at the hope and happiness that seemed to fill his voice. I looked over at him. He didn’t even look at me. He was star-struck, staring at her. She turned her head, and I saw a glint of silver in her ear.She seemed frozen in his gaze, eyeing him.“…’Dido?” She asked.I clenched my jaw. What a stupid nickname. He should be offended. I was offended that she would talk to him so familiarly. She should be addressing him properly. Only me and his family got to call him by his first name. Who the hell did she think she was?He burst into incredulous laughter. “I can’t believe you’re still alive. I—”He stilled and turned, but it was too late. A vampire screeched and lunged out of from under a jeep, tackling Estella to the ground. Vanessa twisted, planting herself between Van’s unconsci
She shook it out around his shoulders and wrapped him in it.“Sit down before you pass out or shift,” she said gently, steering him to sit down. “You’ll end up in a coma, if you don’t.”I growled at her, trying to push her away.“Hedy, stop—”“It’s okay,” she said, stepping back and gesturing to the stone nearby. “Could you get him to sit?”I wanted to push him away from her, toward a jeep on the other side of the clearing, but Candido swayed towards the stones. I followed, keeping myself between the two of them. He sank onto the stone, leaning forward and shivering a bit.I turned towards her as she approached, digging through her bag. I growled at her, ready to fight her if she came any closer.Candido grabbed me by my arm and yanked me to sit beside him. I landed hard and cried out.“Sit down,” he growled, that weight of his alpha
I couldn’t go far. The whole area was blocked in by jeeps, the large stone wall, and the barrier that had been erected around the area. It was ridiculous that I couldn’t even find a place to cry alone in peace.“Ah,” Cillian’s voice cut through the air. “I was wondering who it was…”I scowled at him. “Go away.”He cocked an eyebrow at me then turned back. “I think Candido and Estella are headed back to Lunae’s Circle. Are you staying here?”I grit my teeth. “Maybe I should.”Cillian walked and sat beside me. “Do you want to talk about it?”“No,” I said. “Go away.”Cillian shrugged and stood. “Fine. I’ll leave you to your crying.”I turned on him. “You’re just going to leave?”“If you were a child, I would probably push until you caved. Maybe bribed you wi
We got back to Lunae, but I didn’t go looking for Candido. I went back to the barracks, putting on the stupid cuffs and collar again. I saw Estella as I headed into the barracks. Claire didn’t come find me, I bet she and Francium were together and having sex.I burned with envy. If only Candido would just…I thought back to the Blood Moon. Could I ask for that too? Cillian hadn’t said there was a restriction on what I could ask for. Maybe the Goddess would listen to me. I was… half vampire? Would that make me closer to her? Would that make her more willing to listen? I hadn’t believed much in her, but would that make her less likely to listen to me?Couldn’t she see how unfair this all was to me? Couldn’t she see how badly I wanted Candido?I waited and kept to myself for days. No one came looking for me. It burned me, even more, to know that Candido was probably out with Estella. Maybe he’d met her
I hurried up the wood and stone path. Wherever that person was going had to be where the temple was, and if not, they knew where I needed to go. I rushed up the path after the figure.A large stone building came into view through the trees. The trees were covered in snow-white blossoms tipped in blood red. I had never seen flowers like these. The person ahead of me entered the temple and the doors slammed closed in my face.I tried to pull on the stone, but my fingers slipped and scraped against the stone. I rushed around the sides, trying to find another entrance, but there wasn’t one. The building wasn’t large. It was perhaps the size of a small house. I could walk the entire perimeter, but there was nothing.I went back to the doors and tried to pry the doors open again. They didn’t budge. I didn’t see a hinge or anything.I yelped as one of my nails broke. As the blood started to well up beneath the broken nail, I screamed.
I couldn’t breathe seeing them. They weren’t doing anything. They were even too close, but the sight of them in matching cloaks, laughing, looking so at peace together was too much. He was even wearing a clean shirt, pants, and shoes. I marched toward them and cut them off.The two older people looked at me kindly.“Hello—”“What are you doing with her?” I asked. “Is this what you’ve been doing all this time?”“Hedy,” he said sternly. “This is not the time or the place.”“The hell it isn’t!” I cried. “Look at you! You’re so cozy with her. I haven’t seen you in days. You haven’t even called to check on me, and you’re here with her to what? Get married?”“Really?” Wren asked from behind me. “You’ve come to your senses?”Candido glared over my head at Wren. “Uncle Wren, please. Don’t stir the pot.”Wren laughed from behind me as Candido looked down at me.“If you had ever come to the temple with me before, you would know this isn’t a marriage altar,” Candido said. “No one is getting marr